1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to latch assemblies, and more particularly to door handle assemblies and thumb turns provided on such assemblies for manual operation of the door's latching mechanism, and to processes for painting and manufacturing such assemblies.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Latch and door handle assemblies are well known, as are those that employ a thumb turn on the interior side of the door handle so that the door locking mechanism may be manually latched or unlatched by moving the thumb turn. Such thumb turns may take the form of lever arms that can be pivoted between the latched and unlatched positions. In manufacturing such door assemblies, and in particular in painting them during the manufacturing process, it is necessary to also paint the lever arm of the thumb turn. To reduce costs for painting operations, it is often advantageous to paint components as an assembly rather than separately. For example, if components are painted as an assembly, labor costs can be saved from less hanging and removing of parts from paint racks. However, unless the lever arm is held in its position of maximum exposure when it is painted, there are likely to be areas of the lever arm that are masked by other parts of the assembly during painting, resulting in unsightly areas missing paint when the manufacturing process is completed. And because typical thumb turns can be pivoted, it is difficult to paint the lever arm because the lever arm may move out of this position of maximum exposure during painting, resulting in visible unpainted areas on the finished product.
In addition, if the thumb turn is painted as an assembly with the base or body, the paint may bridge between the lever surface and the base, creating bumps which are not only unsightly but also can interfere with smooth operation of the thumb turn once installed. Further, breaking dried paint bridges can result in uneven coverage of the components, leaving some spots with minimal protection against corrosion, a particular drawback given the long expected life of such assemblies.
Moreover, thumb turns are typically held to the base with a fastener or backplate. To eliminate or reduce droop of the thumb turn in its uppermost and lowermost positions, components such as springs have usually been required. If the need for some of these parts in the assembly could be eliminated, other cost reductions could be realized.